Most eight-year-olds would do anything to visit Walt Disney World.
Ffion Tynan did the opposite.
On a family holiday to Florida in 2012, the Welsh youngster turned down a trip to the Disney parks and chose to spend the day at the children’s activity club instead.
The activity was golf.
Fourteen years later, that decision has taken Tynan to the professional ranks after the 22-year-old secured her Ladies European Tour card through final qualifying school in Morocco.
A childhood decision that changed everything
Tynan was on holiday with her family when her younger sister wanted to return to Disney World. Tynan refused, opting to stay behind and take part in the day’s golf session.
After the session, the coach asked her to remain behind. What she feared might be trouble turned out to be the moment her path changed. The coach told her parents she had a natural ability for the game and encouraged them to keep her playing.
At the time, golf was far from the obvious choice. Tynan was a keen gymnast and came from a family with no golfing background. But the spark had been lit.
Her sister soon followed her into the sport.
A family life built around golf
Once golf took hold, it shaped everything.
Until 2021, nearly every family holiday included tournaments or training. Trips were planned around junior events, particularly in the United States, where Christmas competitions in Florida allowed the family to combine golf with time away.
Theme parks still featured, but always around tournament schedules. Golf came first.
College golf and development in the United States
Tynan’s progression took her to the US college system, where she represented the University of Arkansas before transferring to the University of Missouri.
The move appealed both competitively and academically. With education a priority, a golf scholarship allowed her to earn a degree while competing at a high level and return home without student debt.
She moved to the US at 17 and credits the experience with accelerating her development, both as a golfer and as a person.
Inspired by Charley Hull
While Tynan draws inspiration from tennis great Venus Williams, her golfing role model has long been Charley Hull.
Hull’s early success on the LET coincided with Tynan’s formative years, and she remembers copying Hull’s swing as a junior and being encouraged by coaches to model her finish on the English star.
Now turning professional herself, Tynan hopes to have a similar impact on the next generation and show that players from small towns in Wales can reach the top of the game.
She has yet to reach out to Hull directly, describing the current dynamic as the line between fan and peer, but hopes to cross paths in competition in the future.
Turning professional and what comes next
Tynan earned her LET status at qualifying school in Morocco, knowing that success there would mean turning professional immediately.
The 2026 LET season begins this week in Saudi Arabia, but her playing category means she will gain access to selected events only. As it stands, she is waiting to learn when her tour debut will come.
Whenever that moment arrives, it will mark the culmination of 14 years of commitment.
“I was nine years old when I decided the path I was going to take,” Tynan said. “I’m really proud of myself for being able to accomplish that. There aren’t many people who get to do this.”
For now, she waits. The stubborn eight-year-old who skipped Mickey Mouse has made it to the first tee of professional golf.
